Portrait
by blue-fuzzy
Summary: Piotr came to this little park to get inspired. Inspired he does when he meets an old lady sitting at a bench. With her permission, he paints a portrait of her. AN: Tess and Grandma D, mine.RR Please. Complete. Oneshot. Revised


**Portrait**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any Marvel characters, I can only take credit for Tess.**

A/N: This was inspired by a true story given on **Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction**. Everything but the fact that the girl's grandma was dead and a mutant. Just thought I'd like to share my version of it, Evolution style :) PS. Revised into this oneshot. Enjoy!**  
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**"I'm going to the park. It's a beautiful day outside Katya, come with me." Piotr looked down at the smaller mutant.

"Like sorry Piotr," Kitty sniffled and then wiped her nose on her handkerchief. "Mr. McCoy said I had to stay in bed if I want to get better." Piotr kissed her forehead. He clutched his sketch pad and with his other hand opened the door.

"I'll only be gone for a little while. I'll be back before you know it." Piotr walked out the door and took out his keys for the jeep that Logan occasionally let him borrow.

Piotr made great time in getting to the park, and even found a bench with a perfect view. He began to set up with his pen, color pencils, charcoal, sharpener, and a comfortable position. His eye caught a couple of children playing on a jungle gym, and he began to sketch it out.

One picture after the next. Piotr drew things from the playing children to the birds in the sky, the dogs catching frisbees, and the bike riders. It began to get a little cloudy and the wind picked up slightly. Piotr gathered up his things and started to walk to the jeep. He stopped, however, his eyes drifted over to an old African-American woman. She just sat there on the bench peacefully, it wouldn't hurt Kitty that much if he'd stayed a little while longer.

"Excuse me, ma'am," Piotr sat right next to her on the bench. When she turned her head he saw such kind and caring eyes staring back in his. "My name is Peter Rasputin, I was wondering if I could draw your portrait." He didn't know what made him say this but he felt right in doing so.

"I beg your pardon," she asked in a polite sense. She looked to his sketch pad and the page turned to the frisbee dog. "Such a sweet, talented young man you are, but why would you ever want to make a portrait of me. I'm so old, why not the children who are so young and full of life?" She now saw determination in him.

"Please, I've already gotten one of them," Piotr flipped through his pad to show her. Afterward he turned to a blank page, where he was to draw her.

The old woman folded her hands together. "I like the piano." Piotr looked at her peculiarly. "If I allow you to draw my portrait, could you play for me. In my years I've grown old and the arthritis in my hands keep me from playing." He nodded his head in agreement, though he'd need to talk to Professor Xavier when he got back. "Alright then, but not today. It'll start to rain in a little bit, you wouldn't want to drive home in the rain all soaked." Piotr gave a little laugh and smiled. "I'll be here tomorrow," Piotr stood back up and shook her hand, "You can call me Grandma D too. Ma'am makes me seem younger than I actually am."

Piotr smiled again and then said his goodbye. He walked off to the jeep and as he got in he saw Grandma D still sitting at the park bench. When he turned on the ignition he heard a thunder claps, and rain began to pour down. Grandma D opened up her umbrella and put it over her head. She waved off at Piotr with a smile, then he pulled out and drove back to the mansion.

The first thing that came to his mind was to ask Professor Xavier about his special portrait sitting the next day. When he got inside he crossed paths with Mr. McCoy. "Mr. McCoy, is Katya feeling better?"

"She's sleeping right now in her room. I was going to give her some medicine from my lab in a little while, although, if you want to?" Hank asked him.

Piotr nodded his head, "I need to talk with Professor Xavier first."

"Come down to the lab when you're through then." Hank walked down a hall, and pressed his hand to the wall. The door slid upward, revealing a secret elevator. When he went in, Piotr was already halfway to Professor Xavier's office.

"Come in Peter," Charles said, before he could even have the chance to knock. Piotr stepped inside and explained to him about tomorrow. "I appreciate you coming to me, and I have to say granted. I'll inform everyone at that time to not use their powers. Was there anything else you'd like to ask, or tell me?"

"No sir, I need to get down to the lab," Piotr stood up and walked out. He made his way down the sub-levels and got Kitty's medicine.

He hurried back up in the elevator and ran straight to Kitty's room, knocking quietly when she invited him in. "Thanks Piotr. Like how'd the inspiration go?" She drank the bitter liquid and made a funny face, then put the glass down and looked at Piotr.

"It was great. I met an old African lady in the park. The professor said I could bring her here tomorrow to do a portrait sitting." Kitty sat up against her pillow, and gave Piotr a peck on the cheek.

"Glad you had a good time." She gave a little cough to the side. "I have a feeling this cold won't last much longer, before you know, I'll be up and about in a few days. I could probably watch your sitting tomorrow. " He smiled at her.

The next day Piotr set up the music room so he could also do his painting. He had some help from Jean to move a couple of stuff. "That should do it."

"Thanks Jean. "Piotr replied.

"No problem. Just ask if you need anything else." Jean left the room and headed outside to go to the mall with Scott.

Piotr visited Kitty again that afternoon. Her cold was a lot better than before, but now she just sneezed a lot and her voice was very horse.

"Could you pass me my orange juice," she croaked. Piotr handed her the large glass as she took a big gulp. "I better not talk that much, but Mr. McCoy is going to run some tests, so I won't be able to watch you paint today."

"Just get some rest. I'll ask her if I can show you when I finish. " Kitty smiled and then turned over on her side. Piotr tucked her in and then left.

He bumped into Tess Jones, one of the new students, when he left Kitty's room. "Hey Tessie." He greeted her. She stopped to say hi back.

"Have you seen Evan anywhere? We were gonna go to the skate park."

"No, but...have you checked his room?" She nodded, "how about out back in the pool," Tess suddenly ran off again. Piotr laughed and walked into his room.

A few hours later Piotr left to the park. The sky was a lot clearer now, a few clouds in the sky but the sun was shining just as bright. Piotr looked for Grandma D at the bench she said she was going to be at. The wind blew in the direction that Piotr walked, as he got closer to the bench, there was no sign of Grandma D. He sat down and looked around the park. The children were playing on the playground, some old folks were feeding the pigeons.

"Beautiful isn't it?" Grandma D startled Piotr. "I'm sorry dear."

"It's no problem," then came an awkward silence until he spoke again. "Are you ready to go?"

"What's the hurry. Spending time outside isn't what most people do these days. There's either children hooked on those video games or the internet. "She put her hand on his lap, "no, let's stay a while. " So they sat there, watching the children playing, a dog playing with his frisbee. Piotr also noticed how the trees swayed when the wind blew and the birds chirping in song.

After about a half hour Piotr drove back to the mansion and lead Grandma D into the music room. Grandma D sat on the chair that was across from the piano. Piotr sat down on the bench, "Is there any particular piece you like?" His fingers ran across the keys.

"When I was a child I loved to hear Fur Elise. My mama would play that to me all the time." Piotr's fingers lightly pressed on the keys warming up and thinking how it was played.

Piotr spent the first half hour playing for Grandma D, but after that he began to start work on his painting. "Everyone here always tells me that I might be able to get famous at doing this." Grandma D kept still while still responding occasionally.

"I believe that everyone has their certain talent that will make them be remembered. You'll see in time."

Eventually Piotr began to touch up his painting. Grandma D was taking a nap shortly through this. Once he was done he took a look at Grandma D, and quietly walked out of the room to get a glass of water. While going to the kitchen he ran into Kitty. "Hey Peter, did you finish your painting?"

"Da. You can go take a look at it, I'm just going to get a glass of water. Oh yeah, try not to make a lot of noise, Grandma D just fell asleep." Kitty smiled and walked the way Piotr had just came.

In the kitchen Tess had also heard about Piotr's painting today, and as soon as he got his glass of water they walked back together to see it. Before they got into the room Kitty came out.

"It looks beautiful Peter," she stated. "But...no one was in there when I walked in."

"Are you sure," Piotr and Tess walked in, and Kitty walked in again behind them, "Maybe she left." But he was unconvinced by his own excuse.

"I like don't think so. I would've seen her." Kitty looked up at Piotr. Tess walked over to the portrait where it sat, her face was almost pale white. She turned to look at Piotr.

"Who'd ya paint this picture of?" Tess asked a bit anxious.

"Grandma D. I met her in the park couple days ago. Do you know her or something?"

"Or something. She was my grandma." Tess said, a tear fell from her eyes. "But I don't understand." She said to herself, but audible enough for Piotr and Kitty to hear.

"Understand what?" Kitty got curious.

"She died a couple years ago." All three were silent.

The silence was broken when Charles called them all telepathically through their minds. They all walked up to the professor's office, still in shock of their ghostly encounter. Tess walked in first, as Charles had said it was most important for her, then the others followed in, and stood by the door. "Come closer Tess, I have..or rather someone has given me something to give to you." Tess walked to his desk.

"It's a letter," Tess looked back to Piotr and Kitty, then at the script on the letter.

_"My Dear Sweet Tess. For how many years your parents have kept us apart, know that they only thought to protect you from all the hatred. But now as I have, as for your parents, know about your special abilities, the only people who can protect you are the ones who are hated. However, I will always watch over you. Hugs and Kisses, Grandma D."_

"Piotr," Xavier said, and Piotr lifted his head up. "When you came back this afternoon, I did not sense anyone with you. Though I had no idea of the relation of your guest. As for you Kitty," Kitty took her eyes off of Piotr to look at the professor. "You are still to be in bed." She should have suspected as much.

They all left his office to go about their day. However Tess stopped outside of the office. "I'll be there in a minute Katya," Piotr called to her. "Are you going to be alright Tess," she took a short breath. "Listen, maybe you can have the painting. I think that is what she would have wanted."

"Thanks Peter." He smiled and caught up with Kitty, "And thank you too Grandma D." Tess smiled and started to walk down the stairs to go play outside.


End file.
